Figures.com Holiday Buyer's Guide

It's that time again...

Time when everyone starts - if you haven't already! - picking up gifts for the ones you love...and yourself, as there's really no better time to snatch up a great deal!

Below are links to each of Figures.com's fine sponsors as well as a list of some of our favorite non-collectible gifts which are sure to make the comic/fantasy/sci-fi/toy/video game/movie geek in your life have a happy, happy holiday season!

For that very special collector in your life, check out the invaluable service provided by Collectibles Insurance. Get a quote today by calling 888-837-9537 (8:30-5pm ET) or online at www.collectinsure.com/cost.html. Best yet, when calling or completing an application, be sure to indicate you are a member of Figures.com in order to receive 5% off your first term premium!

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For some of the coolest video game collectibles money can buy, be sure an check out TriForce and their jaw-dropping collection from Gears of War and Mass Effect. Lock 'n load with the iconic M-8 Avenger Asault Rifle and get your game on with their hyper-realistic Marcus Fenix Epic Scale Bust. Use promo code "Black Friday" Friday-Sunday to receive 25% off their Marcus Bust!

BOOKS & COMICS

So caped crusaders and costumed heroes are your favorite reads? Check out these graphic novels...

* Supergod - Fan-favorite writer Warren Ellis and illustrator Garrie Gatonny bring to life a bold tale revealing what might happen were superhero gods were to truly exist and fulfill their purposes here on Earth. You'll be shocked to find how these gods solve all of humanity's problems and then face off against one another for supremacy.

* DC's Flashpoint Hardcover - Ushering in a new phase for DC's relaunch, Flashpoint brought Barry Allen back to the forefront of comic relevance and made the Flash cool again. So what if it changed over 70 years worth of comic continuity and essentially forced everyone to start collecting all of their favorite DC titles all over again?

* Batman: Noel Hardcover - Writer/artist Lee Bermejo brings to life a unique retelling of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol featuring your favorite DC characters. This engaging and entertaining Batman tale has readers following the Dark Knight as he's escorted by Superman, Catwoman and Joker through his past, present, and future; forcing the world's greatest detective to reflect on his life and purpose.

* Marvel Comics' Wolverine by Jason Aaron Omnibus - Volume 1 - If you haven't read Wolverine for a while, now's a great time to pick up this monstrous 688 page omnibus, which collects over 29 comics by fan-favorite writer Jason Aaron, including the writer's entire run on Wolverine: Weapon X!

So superheros aren't your thing but you dig comics? Check out these other awesome graphic novels...

* Soul Stealer: The Collectors Edition - Actor/writer Michael Easton and artist extraordinaire Chris Shy bring to life the emotional tale of a wounded warrior whose lover is killed, reborn, and then lost in time. With an emotionally and physically scared protagonist who'll stop at nothing to be reunited with his love and struggles that are both natural and supernatural, this is the complete tale, re-edited and brought to life in a massive, oversized hardcover that's signed and numbered by both creators.

* The Metabarons Ultimate Collection - This massive oversized slipcased hardcover edition includes all five multi-generational tales of the Metabarons by writer Alexandro Jodorowsky and artist Juan Gimenez. This space opera is unlike anything you've ever seen or read and features some of the craziest action, intense drama and nail-biting suspense in graphic novel history.

* Daytripper - Gabriel Ba and Fabio Moon's surreal tale about a simple writer and his life and relationships as they have been, could have been and could be; Daytripper is everything a great comic wants to be. Featuring interesting characters, intriguing relationships, beautiful artwork and impressive storytelling all around, this is one graphic novel comic fans shouldn't miss out on.

* Marvel Comics' Dark Tower Omnibus - Check out Marvel Comics' brilliant adaptation of Stephen King's Dark Tower series by writers Peter David and Robin Furth and artists Jae Lee and Richard Isanove. The Gunslinger's story is unlike anything you've ever experience as it's brought to life beautifully on the pages of this two-book slipcase set which collects the first five limited series, including The Gunslinger Born, The Long Road Home, Treachery, Sorcerer, The Fall of Gilead, and The Battle of Jericho Hill. Over 1400 pages of material for the die-hard Dark Tower fan awaits!

* We3 Deluxe Edition Hardcover - Writer Grant Morrison and artist Frank Quitely's brilliant, emotional and action-packed tale of three animals who've been test subjects of a military program designed to create war machines, this heart-felt story of a dog, a cat, and a rabbit and their struggle to find their home will make you cringe, cry, and laugh as you experience an emotional roller coaster unlike any other comic out there.

So you like to read, but don't want the pictures? Check out these awesome books...

* Black Library's The Horus Heresy - If you're a fan of space marines and you're looking for entertaining books featuring some of the most intense action, dynamic characters, incredible settings, and thrilling drama around; look no further than the Black Library's The Horus Heresy. Fan favorite authors like Graham McNeill, Dan Abnett, Gav Thorpe, Aaron Dembski-Bowden, and Ben Counter among others bring to life the battle-torn, war-weary world of Warhammer in the year 30,000 AD. Watch at brothers battle brothers, fires burn bright, demons come to life, assassins stalk from the shadows, and the Warhammer 40,000 galaxy is shaped and changed forever.

* Germline - T.C. McCarthy's first entry in his The Subterrene War Series, Germline reveals a world where science has overreached ethics and reporter-turned-soldier Oscar Wendell finds himself side-by-side with teenage warrior women who are cloned, born, and breed to kill. The book exposes readers to a futuristic war which is both unimaginable and yet almost too close for comfort. With brilliant character development and a plot that's action-packed, McCarthy helps reveal the much needed humanity in even a future war where teenage girls are America's secret weapon.

* Anything by Andy Remic - So what if we're biased? It's almost a tradition we include Remic's work in our Holiday Buyer's Guide and this year is no different. The craziest sci-fi writer out there continues to create characters, stories, and settings unlike anything and everything else out there! Be it a merciless assassin willing to kill and die for his cat in Anarchy Book's SIM, an android who's gone off the deep end in Solaris' Theme Planet, an axe-wielding old man fighting the undead in Angry Robot's Vampire Warlords, or Combat K continuing their military mischief and shotgun shenanigans in ClonePlanet, Remic's work is outlandish, action-packed, violent, fun, and exciting.

VIDEO GAMES

2011 has been packed with some of the best video game titles released in years. More refined, eagerily awaited sequels make up the bulk of this amazing digital entertainment surge, but their were quite a few original titles as well. Here are just SOME of our favorites:

* Dead Space 2 - Kicking off the new year was the return to Visceral Games' hit sci-fi horror survival franchise. Everyone's favorite space mechanic Isaac Clarke is back... but this time he's packing the heat and armor! While we were sceptical of this new action-oriented approach to the game, Dead Space 2 did not fail in delivering the tense, creepy atmosphere gamer's love about this series. The last half of Dead Space 2 is without a doubt one of the most challenging games I've played this year (on normal difficulty no less!) - a very satisfying experience once completed.

* Bulletstorm - Where Dead Space 2 was challenging, this not-to-be-missed title from Epic Games and People Can Fly was the most UNIQUE. Like a sci-fi pulp comic come to life, this raunchy tongue-in-cheek game rewarded players for how creative they killed off their enemies. Gorgeously rendered and packed with smooth nonstop rolling action, Bulletstorm may have been a one trick pony, but what a trick it was.

* Crysis 2 - Speaking of gorgeously rendered, Crytek's sequel to their 2007's Crysis was breathtaking in beauty. Taking the fight against the alien invaders from the tropical jungles to the urban jungle of New York City was a brilliant move; the landscape both familiar and utterily foreign in its new destroyed state. The best part of Crysis 2 is the new and improved Nanosuit. Loaded with advanced technological abilities, players had a wealth of combat options at their disposal. Take down the enemy by stealth... or barge in head first with armor lock activated. Taking first person combat off the rails, battling alien scum never felt so free and liberating.

*Space Marine - If you've been reading those Horus Heresy novels recommended above, then this is the game for you. While set in the more current millennium of Warhammer 40K, the combat action is every bit as intense and brutal as described in the Heresy books. THQ fully captures what it is like to be one of the most powerful soldiers in the universe, allowing players to seamlessly switch from gory hand-to-hand combat with a whirring chainsword or energized Thunder Hammer, to explosive ranged attacks with a rocket-firing Bolter and devastating Lascannon. Not only is creative combat encouraged, it is mandatory if you want to survive - killing off vile Ork scum rewarding the player with renewed health and powered-up Fury mode. For the Emperor!

* Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception - PlayStation 3 owners have plenty to love about Naughty Dog's epic follow-up to 2009's award-winning game. Packing all the thrills of a summer blockbuster movie, players take control of Nathan Drake as he travels the world in search of the legendary lost city, the Iram of the Pillars. Visually arresting, Uncharted 3 is action-adventure gaming at its best featuring deep gunplay, diverse movement and challenging puzzle solving.

* Gears of War 3 - Epic Games closes the book on their popular sci-fi triology with a conclusion that should satisfy the most passionate Gearhead. Written by Karen Traviss, the author behind the Gears of War books, GoW3 features the most character driven story yet. While players will breeze through the relatively short campaign, Gears of War 3 packs enough multi-player extras where players will be gaming for months. Fan favorite Horde Mode is back along with a new Beast Mode that allows players to take the role of the Locusts. GoW3 also has some of the best bundles released this year, with an Epic Edition loaded with goodies, including a real metal Octus Service Medal and Marcus Fenix statue!

* Batman: Arkham City - Arkham City improves on the already sensational Arkham Asylum by leaps and bounds by offering players one of the coolest open world game designs seen in years. Unbound from the confining halls and rooms of the "Asylum," gamers are thrust into a vast skyscraper adorned section of Gotham where the path you take is totally up to you. There is a main mission involving the Joker, but the countless side missions are so well done - and so seamlessly implemented - that one doesn't feel forced down a linear path. With smooth traversal through the city via Bathook or gliding, deep puzzle solving and satisfying martial arts combat, this is the richest Batman experience ever created. Could an even larger "Gotham City" be next? Let's hope so!

* Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - I loved Arkham City for its freedom and sense of exploration, but it pales in comparison to Skyrim. This is open-world gaming at it's best. By the same folks that brought us Fallout 3, Bethesda delivers a fantasy action/RPG like no other. How you play is up to you, be it a powerful magic user or hearty fighter, all fully customizable with TONS of spells, weapons, armor and Perks at your disposal. Tired of being a wizard and casting fireballs with both hands? Then switch - at your whim - to a mixed-class of spell caster and warrior. The world of Skyrim is so vast it will have you playing for many, many hours. If you're looking for one of the most entertaining games of the year - and have the time - Skyrim is hands down the clear choice.

There you have it, some amazing holiday gift ideas for everyone on your list who - like us - enjoys robots, comics, dragons, cartoons, superheros and all things pop culture!